


Tied like Shoelaces

by Lil Tiger (XiaoHu)



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Friends to Lovers, Growing Up, M/M, Mutual Pining, Slice of Life, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:53:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26181439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XiaoHu/pseuds/Lil%20Tiger
Summary: Haechan has his own list of headache inducing things. Like biology tests, Renjun, or what to eat for breakfast. But one problems tops it all. And it's a very tangly one. Well, most problems are, right? But this one's somehow related to Mark. And is literally tangly.1. He can't do his shoelaces on his own2. Only Mark knows about this, so ineluctably, he's the one doing them
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin
Comments: 13
Kudos: 133





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER  
> \- This a work of fiction and has nothing to do with the mentioned people's REAL life. It is just me having fun with their stage persona  
> \- It's okay not to know how to do your shoelaces  
> \- Very inconsistent writing ahead, it took me more than a year to edit it after the draft was finished  
> \- Still has lots of major proof reading to do, but I'm either posting it now or never  
> \- English is not my first language! don't hesitate to point out anything that got stuck in your eye! no to eyesores!

Even if he forgets everything, fills up the dumpster with all the things that reminds him of the boy, his body memory will forever be allergic to shoe tying. And thus, as unromantic as it sounds, when he looks down to his shoes, he’ll think of Mark. And being shoe-less isn’t an option.

It’s not that he doesn’t try. He does, and his YouTube history was once full of recurring tutorials called ‘how to tie your shoelaces’.

It’s just that it gives him a reason to see his Hyung every morning and evening when the task of shoe tying presents itself.

-

They don’t know each other from the womb, but it’s close enough. They’ve known each other ever since they’ve been introduced to socialisation in an educational system, nursery that is. They’ve been with each other since ever they can remember, and just as school would equal Mark, to Haechan’s mind, after school was full of either shared taekwondo classes, or tumultuous seance of who-can-win-the-most-coins in arcade centers. Which they did together, always. 

As much as every one of Mark's acquaintances were gained because Haechan introduced them to him somehow, it was Haechan who on the first days of the first days of nursery had a hard time making friends. Keeping his things to himself but taking other’s as his property, wanting everyone to look at him but picking a fight over trivial things, and much more. 

Perhaps they were all linked to his extreme imagination and attention seeking tendency, topped with his hyperactive and curious personality. But today it’s these characteristics that he managed into funny comments and creative jokes. It wasn’t always the case.

The current of these habits has him ending up alone by the tree, cheeks chocolate stained because the sorrow of not having any friend is heavy on his stomach, and he’s peeking his eyes towards a bunch of kids playing an odd game of fishers and fishes. The thrill of seeing a boy from another class getting caught makes his hand curl on the crippled wood, and the excitement of catching a playmate makes a smile bloom, even if he’s just watching from afar. No one sees him and no one invites him. Even if he secretly wants to.

But if you're not playing, it’s always thrilling to watch. And if there is one single thing that’s impossible not to get infected with, it’s laughter. So everytime Haechan is alone because he doesn’t like anyone and that makes him detestable, he prefers watching those kids playing this unique game he never saw before.

Then one day, his parents are called by the teacher, and he’s made sure to feel guilty about his behavior. So he hides carefully, and never comes forward because either a fight or miscommunication, nothing good comes from the slightest friction of contact with other kids, according to Haechan.

At least, that’s his interpretation of what little Haechan has been confronted with.

But for such a small heart as that of a little boy clad in a yellow raincoat, fiddling with his cap straps and yet successfully hiding behind a thin but huge tree, it’s lonely to be a spectator of such fun games, during playtime. It’s lonely to be hearing everyone’s laughter and happy cries, excited shouts, so loud that your own chuckle is never heard.

So when his fiddling hand fails to grip the tree when his laces tangle under his feet, he finds himself against the hard, rocky soil. Maybe it’s how his mauled knees feel just like his pride, maybe it’s how everything falls around him yet against him, so then and there, everything burst out of his eyes, all those weeks of silent days and uneaten lunch.

He falls suddenly, and unexpectedly he’s crying, tears like pearls sliding so easily down his face, and even if no one’s looking, he can’t seem to get himself to stop. It’s hard, so he stays on mute and let himself cry behind his hand and arm, on the floor with bleeding knees, behind this lone tree.

“Are you alright?” a voice interrupts his deserted space, but Haechan is wary, and surprised by the sudden appearance on his inhabited territory. So he doesn’t reply.

At that, the boy, taller than him, scoots down, looking at his rusty knees.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” smoothen his hair, tone barely his own: as if reenacting a typical fatherly voice.

“Did someone push you?” Haechan shakes, no. Then, it’s a whole questionnaire to him.

“Did you fall?” Shimmies his head again, no.

“How did you fall?” At this, Heachan looks up, connecting his shy, trembling eyes at the boy’s welcoming one. He normally pushes away people who come at him when he’s weak and shameful like this. 

But he points at his disturbed shoe laces, and lets out a small pointed and accusing “mmh,” as he pokes it with his index finger.

The other boy's high eyebrows fly even higher. Haechan is mildly surprised. 

“It’s okay, I fell a lot because of them, too!” He instantly scoops down. “Let me do them” silent, Haechan can only bop his head the way the other’s small hand fiddles. “you know, I always fell because of them! But my mom got me shoes like these, and now I don’t fall.”

Finally, the other boy swipes clean Haechan wet cheeks of salted emotions, leaving a few hints of grainy soil. Heachan suddenly remembers he’s the oldest boy from the group he observes everyday.

As their small hands frame together when Mark pushes him up to stand, he asks “do you want to play with us?” Tone higher at the end, Mark is talking so nicely and carefully, sincerely locking his eyes into Haechan’s.

He moves his head into a yes, and gradually he’s not alone at breaks, and then learns to make friends in his own class through the thoughtful tips and tricks from his new friend Mark.

Haechan’s parents don’t buy him shoes with scratches, saying it’ll help him learn the damn skill. But it inevitably also gives him a reason to see Mark in the morning so the boy with scratched shoes can do his laces. 

Being the one with scratches, Mark was amazing at tying laces. So Haechan is okay with not having shiny shoes with scratches, and never asks his parents again to buy them for him. He’s okay with Mark, he will suffice.

While friend-making is a skill he learned as soon as he met Mark, shoelaces making is a skill that is yet to be discussed even after more than ten years. Haechan tries not to talk about that to anyone, because Jeno and Jaemin would not let them live on with an contact pride, and Renjun would make him learn the skill and even a little more than that.

(maybe use his laces to strangle Mark for, ‘babying haechan too much’ as he likes to say, as if he’s not guilty of it as well)

Indeed, What’s the purpose if he can’t have his hyung scoot down to his knees for a daily favour?

This small ritual of them stays a secret, and it never fails to make Haechan feel special.

-

They grow up. Haechan meets Jaemin and Jeno when he arrives at high school, and then, Renjun, days and years go on and they never leave his side. When he looks out his room window, a few new buildings block his view of the sea. His shoes size has stabilized now, and he doesn’t have to buy new sizes every year. The sky still has the same scent when winter is looming around. And morning dew blushes the same way when he opens his door to Mark’s smile.

Mark doesn’t wear shoes with scratches anymore, but still does Haechan’s shoelaces when they meet after breakfast, sitting by Haechan’s doorstep, as they discuss Haechan’s most recent failed biology test before they race up to the school. And even if Haechan hates sweating just after his quick morning shower, every single win over his best friend is as precious as gold.

But Haechan’s not fallen in love with Mark yet. He’s not even felt anything for him except for mild annoyance when he keeps on pestering him to do his biology homework. That is until his 17nth birthday. 

Like any other they since they can remember, Haechan expects to see Mark rigth after class, back against the locker, when he’s lazily slipping into his laced shoes. They usually meet up there before zig-zagging half the town when they’re in the mood, or until Haechan’s doorstep when they’re lazy. 

Today, Haechan’s called by a class fellow between two lectures.

“It’s Mark Hyung.” Renjun points with his thumb over his shoulder, the said upperclassmen is waving his hand by the small window of their classroom that opens on the corridor.

“I swear I'll uncover the little secret between you two one day.” Renjun menaces, returning to a profound conversation he was having with Jaemin. Haechan scoots over the desks to the window to where his older Hyung is stretching his arm muscles.

“What?” Haechan asks, Mark scoops closer over the window and reaches for the younger’s uniform.

Is there something important lying behind Mark's tugged up lips? Haechan feels so as he gets his messy collar adjusted by him. Swaying closer under the strong hold of the older’s. 

“Let’s go play at the arcade, I'm paying today.”

After an exchange of _really s_ , Haechan smiles up to his ears.

“Over your money or winning, I won’t be holding back.” Mark huffs out a defeated a laugh, making Haechan feel like a younger sibling when he’s the oldest of four.

“Go on Haechan-ah, it’s your birthday.” he says as he keeps softly dusting off the younger’s shoulder.

Shyly observing under his eyelashes, Haechan thinks the latter should be thankful he’s not the type to take advantage of nice people.

Haechan just nods back as an effortless reply, and later when the unending classes are over, he doesn’t bother with his shoelaces, tucks them in and runs outside, arm in arm with Mark who almost falls down as he fails at keeping up with his excited speed.

“Hurry up!”

-

Backpack bumping together as they enter the retro place, Haechan finally lets go of Mark's arm to take a dramatically deep breath in, eyes closed. the air conditioner, the dark colored walls, the smell of plastic and iron dancing with the day old soda decaying in the carpet. It all feels habitual and joy blooms in Haechan’s chest as Mark pays for a handful of coins. He can’t help but feel like a major triumph over his older friend, they’re the closest but it’s not an everyday occurrence that Mark does so much for Haechan without him even trying (read: blackmailing, bribing, etc…).

  
  


Two and a half hours and wins, wins and wins later, and also Haechan whining about how Mark is never tired or losing, they buy a new set of coins. Well, Mark won a few games too but Haechan blames it either on the machine or Mark's cheating skills. The older complies, no complaint or denying of the accusation, even if they both know Mark is bad at lying so logically at cheating too.

“Haechan-ah, I don’t have any money left,'' Mark repeated at the shamelessly popcorn munching boy. 

“Okay, Okay, this time if you lose you pay” Mark frowns, probably regretting letting ever being nice to him, who gulps down another mouthful before continuing : “But if I lose, you give me your wallet for the rest of the night.” 

Mark’s face looks like it’s suppressing a chuckle, eyebrow raising at Haechan’s stuck out tongue. He tugs at his own jacket pocket, giving the younger the innocent idea to directly snatch the money out of his hyungs hands, just for the sake of putting him on the edge of his patience, in celebration of his birthday.

Haechan takes a threatening step towards Mark, but then regrets it forever, to this day.

Because he falls into Mark’s arm, then profusely in love. It is a regret, because it’s the start of his pining.

When his cheeks fall on Mark's uniform tag over his chest, left ear juggling with the fabric, his surprise cuts his sentence off. It’s Mark who reacts faster letting out an undisturbed ‘oh’, and much to Haechan’s already shaken heart, grip onto the younger’s frame and waist.

“Ah, are you alright?”

The words vibrate directly into his ears, so close, burning them red. Haechan looks up, then regrets it as his eyes meet up with the older’s lips then his eyes. And his face, in general, which is quite close.

Haechan inhales. Then opens his mouth. Mark’s worried stare, stutter stutter. Haechan lowers his head so he can hide behind his bangs, but that only makes Mark scoop closer. 

“...’m sorry,” he manages out before the older comes any closer, swatting the older's hands away with a shy rise of his shoulders. If Mark sees his burning ears and neck, he doesn’t say anything.

And even if just now, Mark was airbag to Haechan’s clumsiness, a savior, he oddly can't find the voice to confront this hyung. The confusion is ignited from the bottom of his stomach, where he feels a knotted ball rolling around, hued between embarrassment and… _shyness?_

In all this hassle of confused emotion he’s not supposed to feel towards his very _best,_ and absolute _friend_ Haechan doesn’t notice Mark staring.

...As unromantic as it sounds, at his shoes.

“Jeez, are you going to forever tuck them in?” 

Before the words can even go out of his left ear and be transcribed into his brain, Mark had already bent down to tie the messy laces, Haechan still staring into the flashing 'Game over' screen behind the air where Mark's face was mere second before. Mark is so unbothered, naturally sitting down to tie his laces, just like he always does, that Haechan starts to feels dumb, standing here, wondering, _what do I always do in this situation?_

It takes a moment for Haechan to fluster down. He then gulps. 

“as long as you’re here I won’t bother”

As he tentatively side-eyes down, his body oddly frozen under the feverish beeping around them, the electronically birds singing around passionately kind of mirror Haechan’s heart beat. Mark's tangly, long fingers doing the impossible, this mind so quiet he can hear his own breathing despite the electric symphony cheering all around. His stare leaves Mark's pale and dainty hand to sit on his clothed shoulders, wide blade at each side of the black blob of hair, and under the reddish bulb over them the older boy looks so warm.

What does he usually do when waiting for Mark to tie his shoelaces? Does he pace around? Tap his foot? Crack a joke? Stare at how black Mark's hair is under this colorful yet dim light? Wondering if it feels as nice as it looks warm? 

Mark looks up. Haechan stares down. Mark chuckles, and as if on cue, everything around them starts to spin. By the hundreds of rainbows lights, Mark’s face is more enthralling and attractive, just handsomely hovering down there, with a stupid, nice smile.

Haechan is struck with a realisation.

For the first time, it does feel different from up there. The view of Mark tying his shoelaces is nothing new but feels like it nonetheless. Something spins around his knees and flashes up to taint the tip of his cheeks.

“What if I’m not around anymore for some reason?” Mark is towering back up and now, his eyes are a little higher than Haechan’s, who stretches out his neck so it’s easier to stare at his lips.

He knows he’ll stutter, so Haechan doesn’t say anything. Still mute, he turns and points at another game, with a small sigh like a demanding child. From then on, the coin had flipped and no matter how much he concentrates, Haechan doesn’t win any other round anymore: blame it on his drunken, fast beating heart.

-  
  


Being friends with Mark always comes with benefits, like being prepared for the next class. Mark telling him how to prepare for the next year, giving him his notes, and even helping with homework. Mark refuses to give him cheat sheets, but Haechan still sneaks into Mark's old biology test archive, since they share the teacher and he’s famous for recycling the tests. Much to Mark's disagreement about ‘learning to prepare for a test’, and ‘getting scolded by Renjun for babying you too much’.

Basically Haechan has been pretty much prepared for what to expect every year because of Mark, and nursery-primary-high school transitions have been smooth and easiest. over that, Mark was always there to help him with his (biology) homework.

But this time around, what Haechan never expected is life to be so hard and time consuming. For it to be such a huge responsibility, that Mark’s face changes every time they see each other: mature and handsome, sharper, and the gaps between their meeting are harder and longer. Haechan still expects to see Mark’s face waving at him by the corridor. But he’s busy now, and doesn’t call out to him between classes to talk to him about everything and anything, with Renjun’s cousin Lucas trailing behind to annoy him, like they used to.

Sometimes, on the other window of the classroom that gives a wide view at the training grounds, he sees Mark walking down with Jaehyun and Jungwoo. Sometimes he catches them as he daydreams, other times he willingly waits for them to appear. He stares and stares, cheeks crushed under his hand, eyes following their track. 

_What if I'm not around anymore?_

It’s almost a habit now, waiting for the class to end, the teacher disappears into the corridor that gets slowly flooded with students. Haechan doesn’t even let his eyes wander there, but now stares down the opposite window for the group of upperclassmen to appear with their freshly bought lunch in hand, laughing happily about whatever Lucas’ saying. 

Haechan stare at the boy he’s been looking for. These day, this is the one sided way they meet.

Like a sniper’s gun shining under the sunlight and giving him out, somehow, Jaehyun detaches from the conversation to look straight up at him. Haechan doesn’t know what look he had, he just swipes his head away, looking for his own group of friends and vowing never to spy on Mark again, no matter how much he’d like to join him.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading it till the end guys.  
> Kudos and comment means a lot to me. I never stop rereading them when I'm down. They give me the punch I need to go back to life.  
> See you at the next chapter, till then, sanitize your hands and love yourself!
> 
> If you want to read something similar: [Astral Analogy](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15150683/chapters/35134214)  
> If you want to read something a little creepier: [To my heart you're a horror movie](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15227706) or [The seventh night](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25367491/chapters/61508818)
> 
> XiaoHu


	2. Chapter 2

Being friends with Mark always comes with benefits, like being prepared for the next class. Mark telling him how to prepare for the next year, giving him his notes, and even helping with homework. Mark refuses to give him cheat sheets, but Haechan still sneaks into Mark's old biology test archive, since they share the teacher and he’s famous for recycling the tests. Much to Mark's disagreement about ‘learning to prepare for a test’, and ‘getting scolded by Renjun for babying you too much’.

Basically Haechan has been pretty much prepared for what to expect every year because of Mark, and nursery-primary-high school transitions have been smooth and easiest. over that, Mark was always there to help him with his (biology) homework.

But this time around, what Haechan never expected is life to be so hard and time consuming. For it to be such a huge responsibility, that Mark’s face changes every time they see each other: mature and handsome, sharper, and the gaps between their meeting are harder and longer. Haechan still expects to see Mark’s face waving at him by the corridor. But he’s busy now, and doesn’t call out to him between classes to talk to him about everything and anything, with Renjun’s cousin Lucas trailing behind to annoy him, like they used to.

Sometimes, on the other window of the classroom that gives a wide view at the training grounds, he sees Mark walking down with Jaehyun and Jungwoo. Sometimes he catches them as he daydreams, other times he willingly waits for them to appear. He stares and stares, cheeks crushed under his hand, eyes following their track. 

_What if I'm not around anymore?_

It’s almost a habit now, waiting for the class to end, the teacher disappears into the corridor that gets slowly flooded with students. Haechan doesn’t even let his eyes wander there, but now stares down the opposite window for the group of upperclassmen to appear with their freshly bought lunch in hand, laughing happily about whatever Lucas’ saying. 

Haechan stare at the boy he’s been looking for. These day, this is the one sided way they meet.

Like a sniper’s gun shining under the sunlight and giving him out, somehow, Jaehyun detaches from the conversation to look straight up at him. Haechan doesn’t know what look he had, he just swipes his head away, looking for his own group of friends and vowing never to spy on Mark again, no matter how much he’d like to join him.

  
  
-

Days go and go on, until Haechan doesn’t think twice before tucking his shoelaces in his socks. But he still thinks of Mark when he does it, and you could say he misses him dearly. And it’s obvious on his face, mood and even on his biology homework (and grade, but let’s just tuck that into the socks, too)

It isn’t, actually, because his homework is nonexistent. Without any motivator, Haechan’s biology homework has no purpose. It’s so obvious that Jeno comes up to him and smacks the back of his head every time he’s found guilty daydreaming about his best friend.

“Got you,” Jeno’s voice and the screeching of the chair he pushes in front, dominating over Haechan’s pained violin whine.

“You always look stupid when you daydream, but this?”

Jaemin pops in magically, somehow, it’s not a surprise since Jeno’s here. “Are you even listening?” He steals a chair to sit on it backwards, making it screech horribly like a twin to Jeno’s chair. Jeno hisses too, but Haechan is stone still, cheeks crushed under his two palms. “I was asking about next week’s sports day. Did Renjun give you that stupid survey?” 

“I don’t know, I don’t care.”

“You’re running this year, too.” 

Haechan doesn't bother looking at Jeno on his right. His eyes fixed in front of him, and when the two other boys curiously follow it it's nothing really that interesting. Just the black, freshly cleaned pitch black board. “I am, like every year. I should, it’s my last year.” 

“And you’re going first, like every year, right? My banner is pink this year.”

“Like every year.” Haechan resonates mindlessly. On his left, he feels Jaemin's aura shift.

"That's a lot of years." Jaemin and Haechan both ignore Jeno's remark, on which they both are supposed to laugh. Renjun would have, but he's busy somewhere around the school, in some corridor running errands for the on topic Mid Year Sports Day like he does _every year_.

Jaemin takes a deep breath and from the sound his nostril makes, Haechan knows he's going to ask a question. The Question with a big Q.

“Will Mark be participating too?”

“I don’t know.” Haechan throws back a little too sooner than he would have liked. So he waits little before adding : “It's been a week I haven’t had contact with him.”

Jaemin and Jeno both have their jaw loosened by surprise. Jeno’s straw dramatically falls on their shared table.

The two best friends look at each other. After a common silence, Jaemin blurts out: “You should do us a favor and ask him out!”

Haechan chokes. Except he doesn’t have anything in his mouth, so it’s safe. “What?”

Jaemin glares with an exhausted expression. “I’m talking about an outing, like meeting up or something.” He whispers something like ‘chill’, and Jeno nudges him, giggling, like they know about something Haechan doesn't.

“I would. But he would have suggested it before me, if he wasn’t busy. “ he says, signing into his two palms supporting his chin, elbows on his table. He eyes his untouched lunch, “I don’t want to bother him.”

At first he says those words exactly as he feels them. But they just fall bitter on his cold lunch and warm milk drink. It’s untouched, and bitter, bitter. Haechan starts nibbling, it’ll occupy his mind and comfort his tongue. Because he doesn’t want to feel like Mark doesn’t think as much as he thinks about him. And more than that he doesn’t want to blame Mark for it. To lower the risks, he has to stop thinking or Mark. To do that, he has to think about something else.

Maybe sensing the silence, his two friends simultaneously hand him their azuki anpan as a consolation. They look at each other in surprise, and Haechan chuckles at the lost twins, always thinking like mirrors and even more closer than that.

Like a comical background music, Haechan's phone sings, and even before he can pull out his smartphone, Renjun comes literally jumping by the corridor window like a spy on the run. 

“Didn’t you check my message?!” he says as he slams shut to the poor window.

“You didn’t give me any time to.” 

“You look terrorized.” Jeno and Jaemin, synchronously chime in.

“I AM terrorized.” Renjun takes an aggressive breath in, “I was handing these down” slams a flyer down haechan’s table. Jisung’s printed smile, awkward and fake, stares back at him. “When teacher Choi started chasing ME down for the homework YOU didn’t turn in.”

“What homework?” 

This time all of his three friends facepalm in a synchronised sigh, Haechan would have bravo-ed if he wasn’t feeling clueless.

Renjun clasp his palm at each side of his head, “Oh my God I can still hear his voice.”

“I can hear him too..?” Jeno says with a mildly terrorized look, eyes Jaemin who sighs.

“Dumbass, we all can, he’s coming,” Renjun hides under a table as jaemin speaks. He shakes haechan’s table, “We’ll cover.” 

Teacher Choi seems to be on the doorstep, he starts tapping on the frail door and the whole room seems to be trembling under an earthquake. They all brace, including the printed Jisung of the flyer, and Jaemin is the only one who is courageous enough to walk up to the almost exploding classroom door. “What are you waiting for, run!” he points to the corridor window.

When Haechan jumps out the window into the corridor, using the tip of his rubber sole to make no sound as he lands, he wonders if he’s lucky enough to get away this time. Just as he hears The teacher questioning Jaemin about his whereabouts the laces he's been tucking unfairly into his socks fall under his left feet as a protest. And he falls face first into the shiny tiling. 

A pair of feet comes into his vision. Haechan prepares three different speeches, takes a full breath and looks up to face his teacher and the overwhelming doom of a due assignment.

But the face that stares back is Jaehyun’s, standing there, head tilted in curiosity. In the distance he hears teacher Choi calling him names for thinking he has a chance to get away this time.

Jaehyun seems a little confused by the state of the scene around him. His eyes squit hesitantly as he realizes he’s landed at the wrong moment. The sandwich clutched in his hand is a proof that he’s just come back from the bakery and was going back to his classroom. It’s his alibi. He’s got nothing to do with the illegal activity unfolding here.

His innocence is short lived and sent hanging as Haechan takes his hand and pushes him into the dark turn of the corridor. Only the distant taping of their run as a proof of them being there. And teacher’s Choi’s high voice calling for them. 

  
  
  


-

Really, Haechan doesn’t understand why he did that. Why did he take Jaehyun, and run into the hidden bathroom of the campus? Mark would complain that he always acts before he thinks. But the devil Mark sitting by his left shoulder supplies that he did it out of intelligence. Because Jaehyun Hyung, known for being the perfect student, as the scene was suggesting it, looked like he was helping Haechan get away. So that was just a clever move to get the blame away from him.

The halo ornamented Mark on his right oppose and argues he did it because Jaehyun is an upperclassmen who’s well liked by all the student body, and it’s just out of courtesy that they went on to talk privately just as Jaehyun asked to, even if there’s a mad teacher hunting them down in the corridors. 

“Your laces.” Jaehyun says as he catches his breath, and the two miniature Mark disappear into thin air. Haechan’s laces are still stretched free and disorderly, after making him the floor. Haechan curse at them before turning to his upperclassman.

“So you wanted to talk to me.”

“You should do your laces.” The older one insists.

Haechan scoops down to get away the attention from his laces

“Why was he chasing you?”

“We had to turn in an assignment a while ago, apparently.”

“Biology?”

“Howd’you know?”

Jaehyun smiles and Haechan would guess that Mark told him, but he’s quite busy being outbrighten by the beauty unveiling in front of him. He stares, eyebrows almost frowning as if he’d just witnessed the most beautiful firework, for free.

"your laces." Jaehyun points at the tucked in trails of white. "don't you know how to do them?"

"I know how to," Haechan laughs as if it's the most stupid question someone's ever asked him. on the back of his neck a few drops of sweat accumulate in anxiety. "of course I do."

"Then why aren't you doing them?"

Theres a silence. Haechan gulps. "I'll do them later."

Before He can add anything to plead his innocence, Jaehyun is on his knees beneath him, making his shoelaces, and then back up staring down into his eyes with a dazzling smile and an entailing cologne. 

“I can help you.” When he sees Haechan’s expression still unmoving, he repeats, “I can teach you how to do it.”

A robber who's been uncovered. The handsome detective in from of him smiles on, and now Haechan felt like he'd been handcuffed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  [twitter](https://twitter.com/2zeroboyz)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Old Readers: Please re read the previous chapter! I've heavily modified the plot line them and added a few details!

The first summer they spent not together started with a promise.

But also with the hugest fight they ever had. Then, also, with the fastest reconciliation they ever had, because the migrating chanting bird and the ticking clock shouted at them the realisation that they won’t be spending the summer together. But instead, will be lost in clouds of bore dorm under the same scorching sun, yet on opposite axes from each other. 

For three months. 

It’s a long time, so they made up in front of Haechan’s house, standing straight and unmoving like two light poles, behind the Lee family van. They flash awkward stares at each other, a hesitantly fiddling Mark shamelessly peering into Haechan’s eyes, hidden under a baseball cap. Avoiding and shy, a bit moody to Mark’s taste, and there’s a butterfly buzzing around the younger boy. When it gets bored it does fly away, only then Mark clears his throat. 

“Take care of yourself.” It's now his staggering stare that butterfly hovers Haechan’s knee, suddenly the black scab is itchy. Haechan slightly folds his back to scratch it. Behind them, Haechan’s father calls for him. 

“Oh,” he stops mid scratch as he sees his untied laces. He doesn’t hear Mark sigh dramatically under the growling of their family van. But he sees him making an exaggerated scrunched expression as he hands Haechan back the fishing set he was helping him put into the back of the van. 

He sits down to do the left shoe laces. Then, he untucks the right one Haechan had stacked under his heels. Haechan does lift his feet in an attempt to help when Mark mutely asks him to do so with two taps of his fingers. 

“You can’t go on like this. You’ll turn 14 over the summer, you know.”

Haechan shrugs his shoulder, staring at his house hovering at Mark’s back. He wants to stay, but the rules of making up won’t let him say so: it’s too soon to end his moody phase. So, as he’s still a little moody, silence slides in between them, under the buzzing of the exploding engine. 

“Promise me you’ll have learnt to do them next time we meet.”

“I can’t.”

Marks stand by him finally, his voice now clearer. “Three month’s enough.”

Silence. again, but The van moves forward away as a warning, in rhythm with Haechan’s father calling for him, again. 

Haechan fiddles with the hem of his shorts. In the darkness of his mouth, his tongue does the same all around. He wants to say something, _i’ll miss you, or, i’m sorry we had a fight at the worst of moments_ but he’s still a little bit moody to do so. He opts for: “Okay.” 

  
  


Haechan's father called for him for a last time, as he says, a little bit angry this time. 

It’s only when Haechan white sneakers, perfectly done butterfly tied laces disappear in the blue car van. That they wave to each other bye, do they flash each other a smile between the shining car window. The van, then it’s growling disappears into the distance, and Mark goes back to his room to do his suit case for his yearly trip to Canada.

But Haechan does exactly the opposite of that shoelace skill learning promise. 

It happens three weeks after. After a few days of making his younger cousins into his loyal minions through: magic trick, jokes and rebellious pranks, learning to make a game out of anything (constellations, his breathing or his shadow, the red flag dancing over the sea horizon) with the requirement player of 1 because everyone is younger than him and doesn’t suffer from restlessness, he decides he doesn’t need any laces in his life (read: a Mark less summer.) 

he threw his white lace sneakers as a joke over the red horizon of the sea. It does amuse his younger cousin. His Older brother a little less. They end up having a small fight over that. Well, he can’t lie, without mark everything seems a little more than annoying (read: shoe tying)

Haechan’s trip is painted with the movie of his brand new rubber sole shoes navigating away from him and each other through the serene waves of the sea. Haechan imagined them drifting apart disappearing into the deep blue of the deep waters, but together. For as far as he can see, the laces untangle and detangle in a dance under the waves, then sway away from each other.

Naturally that makes him quite inconfortable. It’s also the salt taste tingling his nose and cheeks, and the surviving sand between his toes add to the odd feeling. He showers many times before the end of his trip, but the salty stone of guilt sucking on his stomach never leaves. 

Haechan keeps on thinking about their fight, more than their made up. It’s a little habit of him, and Mark is probably thinking of the opposite (that night of the summer solstice they sneaked out to the eleven store and had fun by the swings).

Well, Haechan doesn’t know, can’t know, so that makes him even more uncomfortable.

  
  


Summers start with Haechan's birthday and end with Mark’s. When they meet again, Mark is sunburnt and his face is framed with new round glasses. Haechan wears broken sunglasses and a beautiful tan. Mark has an obviously fresh haircut, jet black dots of evidence discreetly spattered there and there over his white shirt, meanwhile Haechan hair outgrew a little more than it should. Some part of it is sunburnt, covering his eyes and kissing his cheek bones. 

But they’re the same as they left each other, Mark shamelessly peering into Haechan’s fringe hooded eyes that are avoiding and shy, a bit moody to his stare. As if they’ve just made up and are still a little hesitant.

Haechan is not wearing laces so Mark proposed his own as an experiment. “Try to tie mine.” Marks says after taking a sip from his strawberry boba tea, tentatively stepping out his dirty sneakers. It takes another sip and an unmoving Haechan for him to realise.

“You still can't?”

“I wore flip flops all over summer.” He looks over, eyes avoiding. He’s not lying, he’s still wearing them.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading it till the end guys.  
> Kudos and comment means a lot to me. I never stop rereading them when I'm down. They give me the punch I need to go back to life.  
> See you at the next chapter, till then, sanitize your hands and love yourself!
> 
> If you want to read something similar: [Astral Analogy](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15150683/chapters/35134214)  
> If you want to read something a little creepier: [To my heart you're a horror movie](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15227706) or [The seventh night](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25367491/chapters/61508818)
> 
> XiaoHu


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